This dough figurine artist was asked by Albert II, Prince of Monaco for two Bing Dwen Dwens

Prior to a welcoming banquet held on Feb. 5 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan, a demonstration of China’s intangible cultural heritage was held for guests. A practitioner of the traditional craft of dough figurines, Lang Jiaziyu, was also invited to demonstrate this distinctive and traditional craft to the distinguished guests.

Lang recalled that there were many distinguished guests who stopped in front of his booth, but what really made him and his dough figurines famous was the moment when Prince Albert II of Monaco stopped in front of his booth, a moment which then went viral on social media.

Lang was just about to finish a dough figurine of Bing Dwen Dwen, the mascot of the Beijing 2022 Winter Games, when Prince Albert II stopped by his stall. After inviting Prince Albert II to finish the last step of the dough figurine, Lang told the prince that he could keep it if he liked it. However, Lang then noticed some hesitation from the prince, who then followed with a question. He wanted to know if Lang could “do him a “big favor”. Lang was puzzled as to what kind of “big favor” he could offer the Prince. Prince Albert II then asked Lang if he could make an extra Bing Dwen Dwen figure, so that the Prince could give one to each of his twin children.

Lang said that the reason why he chose to craft the dough figurine of Bing Dwen Dwen was because he wanted to find a relaxing and easy way to interact with the distinguished international guests, and Bing Dwen Dwen was the best fit because of its simple, yet adorable appearance. For Lang Jiaziyu, making the dough figurines of Bing Dwen Dwen is not just about introducing the mascot itself, but also an opportunity to share this traditional craft with people from around the world.